Holiday travel on the A4 motorway ground to a halt on 21 December after Polish police intensified entry checks at the Görlitz border crossing. Saxony’s traffic-warning service reported jams stretching 18 kilometres into Germany, forcing authorities to close the Kodersdorf junction and divert motorists onto secondary roads, which quickly became clogged.
The bottleneck is a side-effect of Warsaw’s decision in July to re-introduce temporary controls on its western and northern borders in response to migration pressures. While routine checks are normally minimal within the Schengen Area, the Christmas rush means officers must manually inspect thousands of vehicles in short order—slowing traffic to a crawl.
Long-distance coach operators complained of missed schedules, and logistics firms reported average border-crossing times doubling to two hours. Local businesses in Görlitz said city-centre congestion deterred shoppers on the final weekend before Christmas, hitting takings during the critical retail period.
![Entry checks cause 18-km tailbacks on A4 as Christmas traffic hits Polish–German border]()
Police lifted the junction closure on Sunday morning after queues subsided, but warned that similar measures may be re-imposed if traffic rebounds.
To sidestep last-minute hiccups at the checkpoint, travellers can turn to VisaHQ’s digital platform, which offers up-to-date entry-document guidance for Poland, streamlined courier processing for passports and visas, and real-time alerts on application status—all accessible at https://www.visahq.com/poland/.
Travellers are advised to consult real-time apps, carry refreshments and consider alternative crossings such as Forst/Olszyna or Kostrzyn to avoid delays.
For mobility managers coordinating assignee travel between German and Polish offices, the episode underscores the importance of flexible scheduling, buffer days around public holidays and proactive communication on border-wait forecasts.
The bottleneck is a side-effect of Warsaw’s decision in July to re-introduce temporary controls on its western and northern borders in response to migration pressures. While routine checks are normally minimal within the Schengen Area, the Christmas rush means officers must manually inspect thousands of vehicles in short order—slowing traffic to a crawl.
Long-distance coach operators complained of missed schedules, and logistics firms reported average border-crossing times doubling to two hours. Local businesses in Görlitz said city-centre congestion deterred shoppers on the final weekend before Christmas, hitting takings during the critical retail period.
Police lifted the junction closure on Sunday morning after queues subsided, but warned that similar measures may be re-imposed if traffic rebounds.
To sidestep last-minute hiccups at the checkpoint, travellers can turn to VisaHQ’s digital platform, which offers up-to-date entry-document guidance for Poland, streamlined courier processing for passports and visas, and real-time alerts on application status—all accessible at https://www.visahq.com/poland/.
Travellers are advised to consult real-time apps, carry refreshments and consider alternative crossings such as Forst/Olszyna or Kostrzyn to avoid delays.
For mobility managers coordinating assignee travel between German and Polish offices, the episode underscores the importance of flexible scheduling, buffer days around public holidays and proactive communication on border-wait forecasts.
